


no hearts, no beats, just love

by gyuhyun



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Robots & Androids, M/M, Robot Feels, Robot/Human Relationships
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-03
Updated: 2014-11-03
Packaged: 2018-02-23 23:25:09
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 20,116
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2559626
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gyuhyun/pseuds/gyuhyun
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When his uncle gifts him an android for his birthday, Jongdae learns more about life than he’s ever known in his 21 years of living.</p>
<p>Edited: 01/06/15 (Mostly grammar mistakes.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	no hearts, no beats, just love

Jongdae blinks as he loses the battle of staring he has with his ceiling. His eyes burn from holding open for so long and he blinks a couple more times to give them the relief they're screaming for. He whimpers as he turns in his bed and brings the covers over his head.

If Jongdae doesn't think of something else to do, memories upon memories will flash before his eyes and he'll start to cry once more. The pinpricks of tears against his closed eyes is already a sign. His throat burns with the need to hold back and he takes a stuttering breath to calm himself down.

He shuts his eyes harder in hopes of successfully pushing the tears back. One tear slips and he sobs out as uncontrollable droplets follow after one another. His throat constricts as he cries out, shouting and gripping his blanket tighter around himself. His ears become deaf to the sounds that he makes and the only thing ringing in them is the sound of a soft voice whispering words only his memories make. He cries even harder, screams even louder, anything to drown out the voice that taunts him in his sleepless state.

"Stop!" Jongdae screams, over and over again. His voice feels hoarse, broken and tired—perfectly mimicking the current state of his heart.

Jongdae tries to fill his mind with meaningless thoughts and avoids counting the hours he’s wasted in his room. However, the memories won't stop flooding his mind, and they poison him with each flash of smile or laughter. They kill him from the inside out.

"Please, just," he sobs. "Just stop."

Jongdae falls asleep with his hands over his ears but the words, _'You're going to be alright without me,'_ echo in them anyway.

♡♡♡

Jongdae stood in the middle of the hall, raking his eyes up and down the life-sized box in front of him. It was wrapped in his favorite shade of blue, pale and glimmering under the lights. The box’s bow taunted Jongdae to pull at the ends of it, but he held the urge down.

"Honey," his mother cooed. Jongdae smiled at her as he turned his back to the last present he had yet to open. "If you're not going to open your present, you should go and sleep." His mother smiled at him kindly as she sat down on one of the chairs. She yawned as she took off her stilettos.

"It's alright, mother," Jongdae said, not moving away from where he was standing. "I'm not that tired yet." In fact, Jongdae could feel the adrenaline surging in his veins as his fingers itched to open his present. "You should go to bed, though. I know the party took a toll on you the most."

His mother yawned again as she gathered her shoes in one hand. "Funny how you say that when it was _your_ birthday party. You should be more tired than I am." She shook her head in disapproval although she had a regal smile on her lips.

"Oh, well, I'm going to head to bed then." His mother made her way to him. "Go to sleep when you're done opening your presents." She ruffled his hair fondly. "Don't forget to leave a note for the maids to clean the mess up. Good night, sweetheart." His mother tiptoed as she kissed him on the temple and Jongdae whispered the same words of parting. He watched his mother ascend the stairs and disappear before he went back to admire the biggest box he'd ever seen in his life.

His heart drummed inside his chest as he smiled gleefully at the box before him. He pressed himself against it, ear and palms flat on the surface to hear and feel what could be inside. Jongdae raised a brow as he felt the sturdiness of the box, sure now it wasn't cardboard. He knocked against it and pulled back when he realized how it made an odd sound, like it echoed deep inside. He bit his lip as he peered up and down the box. He was more than curious now, his fingers tingling to tear through the ribbons and wrappers.

Jongdae pulled one end of the ribbon, loosening the bow at the top and watching the white silk fall down to the ground. He grinned eagerly, reaching up to carefully take off the wrapping. It didn't take him long before a white metallic box appeared before him. He stepped back to look at the present, stumbling a little when he found a very human looking _person_ inside the box. A glass at the front revealed everything there was to see inside and Jongdae lifted his gaze to avoid looking at any _thing_ else.

At the top of the glass, Jongdae read the words in a flashy font: **The Guardian Android**. He swallowed as he stepped closer and examined what he now assumed was an android. It had plain dark hair. His closed eyes looked every bit as plain as the next Korean. The shape of his face and lips looked bland and Jongdae wondered where all the hype for androids had come from if they all looked this plain.

Stepping closer, Jongdae traced the lines of the android's face through the glass. A part of him wished a more attractive man would appear. He shook his head and cleared his thoughts, biting his lip as he tried to figure out what to do. He went around and found a set of instructions at the back.

"One," Jongdae read aloud. "Please make sure that the first person your android sees after his Personalization Sync finishes is you. It will help the android develop the contract needed to specifically obey your orders." Jongdae chuckled at that but kept the information in his mind.

"Two," he continued to read. "A manual has been provided along with the android to help guide you in your setup." Jongdae clicked his tongue at that and stopped reading, having glanced at the next step about the proper way of taking his android out. Jongdae took a deep breath and exhaled, mentally preparing himself as he tried to look for the button that would open the box.

The red button, Jongdae found on the right side, was small and stood out against the white box. A hiss of air escaped when he pressed the button, and Jongdae watched the glass slide down, disappearing within itself. His android stood before him, the only thing separating them this time was the air between them. Jongdae took a step closer and caressed the android’s cheek, suddenly remembering where he'd seen this face. Billboards and TV ads had this face all over New Seoul. Jongdae gulped as the skin connected with his fingertips. It was soft, softer than even his own skin. It felt real, as real as Jongdae's own skin. He bit his lip, retracted his hand and kept a distance between him and the android.

"Fuck," he found himself whispering as he stepped back. "My uncle got me the latest android version." He laughed, confusion and excitement mixing in the sound as he stared at his robot. He was unsure of what to do but he knew he couldn't keep it in the main hall forever. Racking up his brain for the right thing to do, Jongdae settled on bringing the droid up to his room. Jongdae grabbed a pen and wrote a quick note for the maids. With a deep breath, Jongdae hauled his android out of the box, surprised to find it practically weightless as it hung on his shoulders. He spotted the manual just below the android's feet and grabbed it with his free hand.

Before he knew it, Jongdae found himself in his room, plopping the android down on his bed. He flipped through the pages of the rather thick manual, frowning at the thought of having to read the thing at this hour. He shook his head and threw the manual by his desk.

Jongdae returned his attention to his robot and dragged it off his bed. He bit his lip as he decided where to place the thing. Spotting the empty corner of his room, he tugged the android over, patting it on the arm as he turned away. He could finally feel the fatigue of the party crawl under his skin and decided to quickly change his clothes so he can go under his warm covers.

Without facing his present, Jongdae muttered a soft good night. It didn't take long before sleep enveloped Jongdae, granting him dreams of a man with silky blond hair and soft-looking pink lips.

 

Jongdae woke when he heard the scream that echoed in his room. With bleary eyes, he tried to make out the person who was standing by his door, her hands covering her mouth in shock. Jongdae rubbed one of his eyes to help clear his vision.

"Mother?" Jongdae confirmed, yawning as the familiar figure became clearer. His mother sighed as she approached Jongdae.

"What is that _thing_ standing at the corner of your room?" she asked, peering up and down at Jongdae's android, and Jongdae smiled up at his mother.

"Uncle got me the latest android model!" Jongdae excitedly exclaimed.

His mother sat on his bed and did a double take, scrutinizing the plain android. "Doesn't he look rather plain?" she asked as she turned to face her son.

"I think you can set up his appearance? I'm not sure, I haven't properly read the manual yet." Jongdae yawned one more time, making sure to cover his mouth in the presence of his mother. His mother smiled fondly up at him, patting down his bedhead as best as she could.

"Well, if you're awake, go and join us for your birthday breakfast." His mother smiled at him. “Happy birthday, dear.” She kissed him on the forehead as Jongdae whispered his thanks. His mother patted him on the back and urged him to follow her out of the room.

Jongdae shook his head awake and got off the bed, eyed the manual at the edge of his desk and looked at his android one last time. He would have to deal with them later. His stomach grumbled and Jongdae took it as his cue to go downstairs.

As he descended the stairs, Jongdae could hear the soft chatter of his family. His father's voice echoed the loudest from where he stood and Jongdae smiled as he approached the table.

"There's the man of the hour," his father greeted. Jongdae came over to his father's side and greeted him a good morning.

"Happy birthday, Jongdae." Jongdae turned to his older brother and bowed in thanks.

"Thanks, Jongdeok hyung."

"So," his father began. "What are you going to do on your birthday?"

Jongdae smiled up at his father as he took his seat beside his older brother. "I was thinking of exploring the android I got from Uncle Ryeowook," Jongdae replied. He could tell without looking that his father and brother's eyes lit up at the news of him having an android.

"He got you an android?" Jongdeok asked with a bewildered tone. "What model?"

"The Guardian," Jongdae replied smugly, giving Jongdeok a cheeky smile. His brother laughed and ruffled his hair.

"Brat."

"Wow," his father remarked. "That's amazing." He pouted, eyebrows furrowing. Jongdae laughed, already expecting the words that were bound to come out of his mouth. "I feel like I've just suddenly lost to your uncle." Everyone in the table laughed.

"Don't say that, father," Jongdae said with a smile. "You gave me a party, a car and an all-expense paid trip out of the country." Jongdae's older brother muttered something along the lines of 'so spoiled' and Jongdae kicked him under the table. "I couldn't have asked for anything more."

Jongdae's father laughed. "I guess you're right. But, if there's anything else you want, don't hesitate to ask." Jongdae nodded and thanked his father once more.

Once his father and brother finished eating, they excused themselves from the table. Jongdae watched as Jongdeok walked side by side with their father. His father was on the phone and his older brother was surely checking his emails on his tablet. Their expensive suits burned at the back of Jongdae's eyes. His heart twinged with an emotion that wasn't unfamiliar to him. He averted his gaze.

"Bye mom, brat. Take care!" Jongdeok called out as he and his father walked out of the dining hall. Jongdae kept his eyes on his plate until he felt his mother's hand on his own.

"Finish eating, Jongdae, don't play with your food." She gave Jongdae a solemn smile. Jongdae nodded and obeyed, not having the courage to speak what was on his mind. His mother walked away after that, leaving Jongdae alone with his thoughts. He bit his lip and finished eating.

Jongdae took large steps up the stairs to his room. He wanted nothing more than to spend the hours discovering the things his android could do. Once the door clicked shut, Jongdae nabbed the manual by his desk and began diligently reading the instructions. Now that he was more awake, it was easier to absorb the information written on it. There were some steps that Jongdae had to read over again because of the technical terms but he pat himself on the back when he got all that he needed to know.

With a deep breath, Jongdae approached his android and pulled it closer to the edge of his bed. Jongdae sat down for a second and stared up at his standing android, suddenly picturing the face he wanted it to have. Glancing once more at the instructions, Jongdae breathed out and stood behind his android.

Below the hair of the android, in the middle of his nape, was a circular outline. The instructions had told him he'd have to press it with his forefinger and allow the android's system to copy his fingerprint. Knowing that once he did this there was no turning back, Jongdae pressed the button.

"Welcome to the Guardian's Personalization Panel," a male robotic voice announced. In front of the android, a screen projected from it. Jongdae moved around and found the screen coming from the android's blue eyes. Ignoring the eerie feeling coming from the sight, Jongdae sat down his bed and looked at the tabs. "Please select a category to begin."

'APPEARANCE' was the first of the tabs and Jongdae checked the manual to see what it meant. Jongdae realized he was right when he said he could design the android the way he wanted and he excitedly chose the category.

Jongdae spent several hours designing, constructing and programming the robot just the way he wanted him to be. He skipped several of the categories, mainly those he wouldn't need (like 'SEX', he definitely didn't need that). Jongdae nodded when he finished selecting the last of the requirements. Once he saved all the changes, his android looked completely different. It was around his height, with platinum blond hair falling against his chocolate brown eyes. He had soft features, his lips pinkish and small, almost kissable. His cheekbones were a little protruded, shadowing his jawline perfectly. His toned body made Jongdae flush, especially as he tried not to look at the appendage between his android's legs. He had no choice but to customize that part as well, having randomly chosen for his android.

Jongdae shook his head and focused on his robot's face before going back to the screen. It prompted Jongdae for information.

"Please input the following to complete your Guardian's setup," the android said. His voice had changed from the robotic one to the one Jongdae had picked—soft and smooth, like a lullaby every time he spoke. Jongdae tried not to smile smugly at his impeccable taste.

Jongdae accessed the keyboard and began inputting the necessary details. The last information Jongdae had to fill out made him stop in his tracks.

_’Name: |_

Jongdae bit his lip and thought carefully what he wanted to call his android. There was only one name he could think of and using it made him feel a little stupid, especially after the hours he spent making sure his robot was unique. Jongdae shook his head and threw all caution out the window. He typed _'Suho'_ and pressed enter before he could change his mind.

"Please wait while your Guardian, Suho, finishes synchronization. 1 percent." The screen disappeared and Jongdae watched as his robot remained stoic. Every minute or so it would speak of its progress with his synchronization. When Jongdae realized he had more time before Suho became active, he decided to spend that time bathing. The stench of last night's party was starting to make his body reek. He shuddered and locked his bedroom door before entering his bathroom.

Jongdae tried not to take forever in his bathroom and came out just in time for his android to finish his synchronization. He still had more time to dress before his android finished completely. Jongdae pulled on some sweats and sat on his bed as he dried his hair.

"One hundred percent. Synchronization complete." His android closed his eyes and Jongdae stood up from his bed and took a deep breath.

Suho opened his eyes, the warmth in them striking Jongdae with a sense of familiarity. He held his breath. Slowly, the corners of Suho's lips lifted. It was a small smile but something about it made Jongdae swallow.

"Good evening, master."

Jongdae's heart stopped.

♡♡♡

The sound of his door opening alerts Jongdae and he stills in his covers, feeling the hairs on his skin rise.

"Jongdae," the soft voice of his mother filters through the room and Jongdae sighs as he waits for his mother to leave. "You haven't been out of your room in days." Her voice has traces of concern in them but Jongdae tries to ignore it. Cocooned in his blankets, he tugs them around his head. He hears his mother sigh before she closes the door, leaving Jongdae alone in his room again.

Just when Jongdae thinks his mother is gone, the door bursts open again, banging as it hits the wall.

"Kim Jongdae!" she shouts, surprising Jongdae but it doesn't deter him from staying in his shell. He keeps his position and stays quiet. His mother sighs once more before sitting down at the edge of his bed, her hand coming up to caress his body through the blankets.

"I know it's been hard on you," his mother says, her voice soft and slightly muffled. "But you can't stay holed up in your room forever."

Jongdae bites his lip, fighting back the words that threaten to spill past them. _I know_ , he thinks as he pulls his legs closer to his body. He feels his mother embrace him before she finally leaves the room. The door clicking shut echoes in the room for a few seconds before it bathes Jongdae with silence once more. He lets out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding.

He takes a deep breath and slowly draws the cover away from his head, the cool air of his room hitting his warm skin as he lowers the blanket further. His room looks bare, even to him, clean of all the mess he'd made before he retreated to the safety of his bed. The light from the morning sun passes through the slits of the curtain and Jongdae sighs as he moves his legs. For the first time in days, Jongdae feels the softness of his carpeted floor. He doesn't look behind him as he keeps his gaze stuck to the floor.

With all the strength he has, Jongdae stands up and almost falls to the ground. He stumbles even as he continues to walk forward. When it becomes too much for him to bear, he shouts. In seconds, Jongdeok appears by his door alongside his worried mother.

Jongdae is on his knees but his brother hurries to his side, bringing one arm over his shoulders and hauling Jongdae up from the ground. "Finally out of your cave, brat?" his brother asks as he helps Jongdae down the stairs. Jongdae doesn't have the energy to laugh or reply so he just nods his head and rests half of his weight on his brother. He drags his legs down the stairs and makes it to the table where his father gives him a solemn smile.

"How you holding up, son?" his father asks as he pushes the plate of food to Jongdae. In the background, Jongdae can hear his mother order the maids around for all types of food to replenish Jongdae's energy.

Jongdae opens his mouth but finds it hard to talk, his throat closing up and starting to hurt. Tears once again prick the corners of his eyes. He gives his father a weary smile, swallowing the lump in his throat, hoping his father understands.

"Eat up, brat," Jongdeok says as he puts rice on Jongdae's plate. His brother gives him a smile as he ruffles Jongdae's hair. Jongdae tries his best to keep himself from crying. His lips quiver and he traps them between his teeth and stares at his plate filled to the brim with food.

Opposite him, his mother reaches for his hand on the table. The warmth tingles his palm, floods his veins and he feels teardrop after teardrop fall from the corners of his eyes.

Jongdae sobs. He cries and tries to apologize, the words mixing with the air that comes out of his mouth. Arms envelop him and Jongdae bawls, feeling guilty for worrying his family.

Amidst the cries and the chaos going on in his mind, Jongdae hears his family repeat, "You're going to be alright. You're alright now." He continues to sob as he lets his family hold him and comfort him. For the first time in days, since he's heard those words leave soft pink lips, he finally believes them.

♡♡♡

Jongdae raked his eyes up and down Suho's clothed form. After looking through his closet for clothes he no longer wore, Jongdae was able to find Suho a decent outfit. Suho wore a pale blue button down that Jongdae tucked in his black skinny jeans. Jongdae had rolled the sleeves up his elbows and pushed Suho's fringe to the side.

"You look good."

"Thank you, master," Suho said, startling Jongdae with his voice. He had forgotten that Suho wasn’t a mere doll.

"Don't call me master," Jongdae lightly scolded, hitting Suho on the shoulder. "Just call me Jongdae."

"Jongdae?" Suho confirmed. Jongdae nodded, a smile forming on his lips as he patted down Suho's shirt. The warmth of Suho's skin surprised Jongdae and he retracted his hands.

"Jongdae," Suho whispered, as if he was trying out the words on his tongue. He smiled again when he looked like he'd gotten used to saying it.

"Thank you, Jongdae."

Jongdae's heart stopped for a fraction of a second. It took him a lot longer to gather his bearings. He shook his head, clearing his mind of unnecessary thoughts and his heart of feelings. He returned the smile Suho gave him and held his android's hand. Jongdae's eyes widened at the heat of Suho's palm. _It felt so real_.

He swallowed and tightened his hold as he pulled Suho to his side. "Come on, I'll introduce you to my family."

Jongdae dragged Suho down the stairs, occasionally looking back to check if Suho could keep up. It didn't take long for Jongdae to find his family. He found them gathered in the dining hall. The maids looked busy as they placed plates of food in the middle. Dinner looked as if it was just about to start.

"Mother, Father, Hyung!" Jongdae called out, drawing their attention to him and his guardian by his side.

"Oh, Jongdae!" his mother exclaimed. "If you were going to invite a guest, you should have told us!"

"Mother, it's not a guest. It's my Guardian, Suho!" Jongdae pushed Suho forward, his hands on Suho's shoulders to keep him in place.

Everyone stood up and came closer to inspect Suho. Suho smiled at them and bowed.

"Good evening, everyone. I'm Jongdae's android, Suho. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"That's amazing!" Jongdeok exclaimed and came to take a closer look at Suho. "He looks so real."

"I'm meant to look as close to a human being as possible, sir."

Jongdae stifled a laugh as his family began bombarding Suho with questions. Suho looked like he was having fun, a pleasant smile fixed on his face as he did his best to answer their questions. Jongdae didn't even notice it until food appeared in front of him that he was already seated on the table. He looked up from where he put food on his plate and found Suho sitting opposite of him. Suho’s smile remained perfectly on his face. Something about Suho looking comfortable with his family made Jongdae's heart throb.

"So what's your specific function?" Jongdeok asked. Everyone in the room turned their attention to Jongdae's older brother, clearly asking for elaboration. He swallowed the food in his mouth and continued. "Well, you know how some androids have specific uses? Like the Companion series was for helping around and the Doll series was for sex."

"I don't have one." Suho smiled, facing Jongdae now. "I can be anything my master wants me to be. I can do everything the older models can do and more."

"Wow," Jongdae could hear his father utter. "SM Systems Co. really outdid themselves with this one."

"Yeah," Jongdae found himself replying, eyes never leaving Suho's kind face. "Wow, indeed."

 

 

Jongdae smiled sheepishly at Suho as he closed the door to his room. Suho simply stood in the middle of the room, keeping his smile as he watched Jongdae.

"Sorry if my family bothered you with their questions." Jongdae walked past Suho and invited his Guardian to sit beside him on the bed.

"It's alright," Suho answered, meeting Jongdae's eyes as he talked. "I understand the curious nature of human beings."

Jongdae laughed. "Don't talk like that. It doesn't fit the 'to look more human' vibe you've got going on." Suho nodded.

Silence blanketed them for a few minutes before Jongdae realized what time it was. It was already late, his drawn curtains revealing the night sky and the lights of New Seoul.

"Do androids sleep?" Jongdae asked as he stood up from the bed and gathered his pajamas in his arms.

"Yes, we do." Jongdae nodded and began to strip. Somehow, he felt the weight of Suho's stare as he pulled his shirt up over his head and dropped it back down, turning to gaze at his android. Suho hadn't looked away, smiling face fixed on Jongdae's form. Feeling self-conscious, Jongdae locked himself in the bathroom to change.

"I won't do anything, you know," Suho called out from outside the bathroom. His tone had a hint of teasing and it made Jongdae flush as he hurried to change his clothes.

When Jongdae came out, he scoffed at Suho. "Yeah, well I still can't trust you."

Suho shook his head and stood up, taking Jongdae's clothes in his hands to fold them properly. "I really won't." He looked up at Jongdae, as if to ascertain that his master was still listening. "You didn't program me that way."

Jongdae thought about this, not remembering anywhere in the 'Personalization Panel' that could bring this attribute up. Not bothering to pay any more attention to it, he went back to the matter at hand.

"So, why do you sleep?" Jongdae asked as he went through his closet for pajamas he could lend Suho.

"To recharge." There was a pause and Jongdae turned around to see if Suho would explain. He did. "I need 5 hours to fully recharge my power supply. It is best that I do this in the hours that you are asleep so that you will not have to feel my lack of presence."

Jongdae hummed as he pulled out some old pajamas he no longer wore. "But what if I woke up in the middle of the night and needed you?" Jongdae handed Suho the pajamas and ushered for him to change in the bathroom.

"In the first two hours during charging mode, you will not be able to wake me," Suho answered from inside the bathroom, his voice echoing through the crack in the door. "After that," Suho continued as he exited. Jongdae watched as Suho pulled down the sleep shirt he’d given him. The pale skin that Jongdae got a peek of made his throat dry. "I will be able to function once more."

"So I have to charge you every night?" Jongdae confirmed and Suho laughed, shocking Jongdae as his voice rang in the room. It was the first time something other than a smile was on his face.

"Not really. My power supply can last me a week at most without charging." Suho sat down beside Jongdae and projected a screen in the white wall of Jongdae's room. Jongdae leaned back on his bed before focusing on the display. It showed the details of Suho's system.

"You see that heart shaped outline?" Suho pointed and Jongdae followed the finger, finding the heart to be quite easy to spot as it was in the middle of the display. "See how it's filled up but not to the brim?" Jongdae nodded and Suho continued. "If I sleep tonight, for five hours, then the heart will be completely filled out. If I sleep for two hours, it goes up but only just a little. If I don't sleep at all, it just drops."

"So you can have days where I don't have to sleep," Suho provided and Jongdae gave out a soft 'ah' as the information settled.

"Do I have to command you to sleep or something?" Jongdae asked as he motioned for Suho to retract the screen.

"There's no specific command. You can order me to not sleep and I wouldn't sleep. But if you do sleep, then I will more or less sleep." Jongdae took that as a fair arrangement and motioned to his bed.

"Well, you're going to have to share the bed with me for tonight. We have spare rooms but I don't trust my family to leave you alone if they find out you're going to be by yourself," Jongdae offered and Suho nodded as he settled on the other side of Jongdae.

"You don't mind, do you?" Jongdae asked, settling in his covers. He watched Suho do the same, his android turning to his side so he could face Jongdae.

"Of course I don't," Suho replied.

Jongdae yawned and tried to find a comfortable position for his head to rest on. "I apologize now if I accidentally cuddle you in my sleep."

Suho shook his head, still smiling. "I don't mind."

"Why aren't you sleeping, yet?" Jongdae found himself asking, his mind begging for rest.

"I'm not permitted to sleep until after you do," Suho whispered as Jongdae blinked tiredly back at him. Jongdae yawned one more time before scoffing.

"That's nice." Jongdae scooted closer to Suho's warmth, unconsciously resting his head on his android's shoulder. It was a comfortable feeling, the warmth that Suho's body provided, and he found himself leaning closer.

"Good night, Jongdae." He heard Suho whisper softly before sleep claimed him.

♡♡♡

Jongdae closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. The sun stands high in the sky and the laughter of university students fill the courtyard. He takes that one step and finds himself inside the building. It's quieter inside than it is outside.

A tall clear glass stands at the end of the hall. The screen takes up almost the entire wall and displays multiple parts of the university website that Jongdae has visited a million times. He approaches the glass and presses the 'Help' tab at the very bottom. A list of categories to choose from appears in one fourth of the screen and Jongdae picks the one he needs.

Jongdae steps back as the whole screen changes. At the top of the screen a large banner writes 'Robotic Engineering' and below it are different categories and medias that fade in and out of the screen. Jongdae spots the course description right in front of him and uses a finger to stop it from fading out, enlarging the box to better read the information written. Once he's checked out the details, he proceeds to check its availability and course listings. He nods in approval as he checks the photos and videos showcased at the side of the box, fading in and out. He swallows as he goes back to the homepage. His heart thunders in his chest but he knows he can't back out now.

He steps back and turns to the rows of windows on the side of the hall. He checks the name plates above the windows and looks for the right category. He stops in front of the window under 'Registrar'. A woman Companion greets him with the brightest smile Jongdae has ever seen.

"Good morning, how may I help you?" she says, her kind voice filling Jongdae with a sense of calm. He tries not to think how _familiar_ it sounds.

"I'd like to ask about the application procedures for an undergraduate student." Jongdae hears himself speak but doesn't believe it's his voice he's hearing. The Companion smiles at him as she replies, handing him a small card and tablet.

"Please input your necessary information here." She gestures to the tablet and Jongdae does as he's told.

"This card has your identification code given to all examinees. You will need it to access your application form, your examination date and your examination itself." Jongdae nods and the android continues. "A website is written down on the card, enter your code once it prompts you and proceed with filling out your application form. Guidelines will be provided in the site to help you in case you have any inquiries. The hotline and online messaging facilities will be available twenty-four seven, so please do not be afraid to ask for assistance should you need one."

Jongdae returns the tablet after signing his details and nods, accepting the card.

"Thank you," Jongdae manages to say, his voice softer than he'd like.

"No, thank you," the android replies, her smile wider than before. She tilts her head to the side and closes her eyes as she smiles. "Welcome to SM Engineering University."

Jongdae returns the smile and walks away. He puts the card in his pocket, careful not to lose it. He takes a deep breath, inhaling the fresh air for the first time in a while. He bites his lip as he exits the building.

A new future awaits Jongdae.

♡♡♡

Warmth surrounded Jongdae and he felt himself burrow in it even further. He pressed his cheek against a soft surface and sighed. There was a weight on Jongdae's waist that intensified the feeling and Jongdae held onto that weight, pulling it closer to wrap around him. Once he was comfortable, Jongdae relaxed into his cocoon and tried to go back to sleep.

The silence that met his ear as he pressed the side of his head against that smooth soft surface surprised Jongdae. But the fingers that danced and tangled in his hair easily distracted him. Jongdae hummed in approval as he tried not to think about the emptiness that greeted his ear. Soon, the fingertips in his hair began massaging his scalp and it became harder to go back to sleep.

With one eye open, Jongdae tried to look at who was holding him. The shocking blond hair almost made him push the man back before everything dawned on him. He sighed as he nestled his head on Suho's shoulder.

"Good morning, Jongdae," Suho greeted and when Jongdae looked up, his soft smile was on his face. Jongdae bit his lip and closed his eyes, momentarily blinded. Suho's fingers continued to massage his scalp and Jongdae sighed as he pulled away from Suho's embrace. He already missed the warmth with just the small distance he'd made.

"You don't have a heartbeat," Jongdae mused as he scratched his eyes.

"Because I don't have a heart," Suho supplied as he sat up on Jongdae's bed. Jongdae yawned as he tried to process the answer. He frowned a little as it dawned on him.

"Smartass," Jongdae heard himself mutter as he got off the bed. Suho chuckled and Jongdae whipped his head behind him to see Suho stifling a laugh behind his soft smile. Jongdae shook his head as he stood up. "If they're trying to make you more human, why not give you a heartbeat?" Jongdae yawned and stretched his back.

"Because I'm not human," Suho replied, his voice even and Jongdae turned to see if he had dropped his smile. Suho didn't. "I try to appear human, yes, but my inventors believe that it is pointless to make me any more like a human than necessary. Our version wasn't made to replace humans."

Jongdae felt dread rain down on him and he sat back down and gave Suho a stern look. He opened his mouth to say something, anything to dispel the sadness he felt at those words. To Suho it might be fine but to Jongdae it wasn't and he didn't understand _why_.

"Don't say that," Jongdae said instead, gritting his teeth. He took several deep breaths before calming down. "Just. Don't say that ever again."

Suho looked taken aback before he once again smiled at Jongdae. He put a hand on top of Jongdae's to offer comfort. "I'm sorry if I upset you."

Huffing out a breath, Jongdae gave Suho a weary smile before disappearing inside his bathroom. He didn't want to think about it anymore.

"By the way, get ready!" Jongdae yelled from the bathroom before he stepped in the shower. "I'm taking you out shopping!"

Jongdae erased all thoughts of their previous conversation as he let the warm water spray over his head. Instead, he concentrated on the silence that welcomed him when he woke up. It wasn't uncomfortable. It was just something new. It was, Jongdae had to admit, something that helped him fall asleep.

By the time Jongdae got out of the shower, Suho was still sitting on the bed. He hadn't changed out of his clothes and it was then that Jongdae realized he hadn't given Suho clothes to wear. He sighed as he made his way to his drawers and picked out some clothes. He threw them to his android and pushed him to his bathroom to get dressed.

Jongdae immediately picked out his own outfit, wasting no time in case Suho went out just as Jongdae was about to wear his jeans. He just finished putting on his shoes when Suho walked out of the bathroom, feet bare and Jongdae knew he'd have to lend Suho some of his shoes for the day too.

When he picked out shoes that would match Suho’s clothes, Jongdae tugged on Suho's wrist and brought him to his brand new car.

"Would you like me to drive, Jongdae?" Suho asked before Jongdae could pull the driver's door open. Jongdae thought about it for a second before giving in, making sure Suho had license to drive.

"I'm pretty sure you can do everything," Jongdae started as the car lifted off the ground and the windshield view became wider. "So, what is it that you can _not_ do?"

Suho chuckled, the sound surprising Jongdae that he whipped his head a little too hard to catch the sight. It was gone before Jongdae could see, replaced by the soft smile that was slowly grating Jongdae's nerves.

"Right now, I don’t know which shopping center you want to go to so I can’t drive."

Jongdae rolled his eyes as he returned his gaze to watch the scenery pass by. "Go to SM Shopping Center. They have the best clothes for androids."

A fews seconds of silence passed between them before Jongdae asked again. "But seriously, what can you not do as a Guardian? What are your limitations?" His eyes shone lightly as he turned to face Suho whose gaze stayed glued to the road.

"I can't," Suho paused, his face contorting into a frown for a millisecond. "I can't fly." Jongdae laughed but let Suho continue. "I can't do activities related to certain parts of my personality that haven't been filled out, yet." Jongdae flushed a little at these words, amazed at how Suho could keep a straight face with his implications.

"Okay, fine, so I left out some categories, so what?" Jongdae shrugged, returning his gaze to the road, the cars zooming by at their sides. "It's not like you have any use for them."

"That's true," Suho replied as he made a right turn. A large complex appeared in the road, cars flying past them as they all made their way to the largest shopping center in New Seoul.

Suho didn't seem to need to know where to park, so Jongdae stayed quiet, watching his android with quiet curiosity. Suho parked the car to the nearest entrance and Jongdae exited the car. Jongdae went to Suho’s side and pulled the Guardian along to enter the mall.

The center looked bigger than when Jongdae last visited. He glanced to his side and smiled softly at the quiet wonder on Suho's face. The android’s eyes were comically large as he looked around the place. A glass ceiling illuminated the three storey complex, highlighting the vast number of shops and people that filled the area.

"Come on," Jongdae said, pulling Suho up the third floor where the android's section was.

The 'SM Android Center' greeted them, the whole floor dedicated to android services. An attendant immediately rushed to Jongdae's side, smiling kindly down at the two of them. By instinct, Jongdae knew it was a Companion.

"Good morning, sirs, my name is Mindy, I will be your attendant for the day, how may I help you?"

Jongdae smiled as he pulled Suho in front of him, hands on his shoulders as he offered Suho to Mindy.

"Thank you, Mindy," Jongdae started. "Meet my android, Suho. He needs clothes and all the other necessities."

Mindy nodded as she led them to the waiting area located to the side of the floor. Couches and refreshments were available for humans, and Jongdae joined a few owners who looked as though they’d been there forever. One of them looked especially bored, his dark hair falling against his eyes as he focused on his phone.

"Please fill out these forms," Mindy said drawing Jongdae out of his thoughts as he took a tablet from her hands. "Also, what kind of android is Sir Suho?"

"Guardian," Jongdae replied as he filled out the forms, entering the necessary details and giving them back to Mindy. Mindy’s eyes widened before she smiled in understanding.

"Would you mind waiting for a moment." Mindy bowed and left Suho to sit beside Jongdae.

"What's that all about?" Jongdae asked whispering to Suho. Suho just smiled and shrugged. Jongdae raised an eyebrow at the reaction before going back to watch the androids and their owners scatter about the place.

"Kyuhyun~" An android called out in a sickly sweet voice. Jongdae and Suho turned their heads to the sound. Jongdae found himself looking at a pretty male android, his white hair with black highlights hiding his eyes but giving him a mysterious air about him. The man that played on his phone on the adjacent couch smiled at the pretty android, the bored look on his face gone. Jongdae gulped as the android smirked down at his owner.

"Are you done now, Sungminnie?" the owner asked, standing up and pocketing his phone. The android nodded as he quickly tucked himself to his owner's side. The owner’s hand slid down the android's back and Jongdae watched as it subtly squeezed the android's backside.

"A Doll," Jongdae whispered, having rarely seen Dolls out in the open. Jongdae shook his head and kept his eyes away from them, focusing on Suho who looked at him with his head tilted innocently.

"What? You have something you want to ask me?" Jongdae barked.

"You can distinguish them?" Suho asked, his eyes somehow twinkling but his smile soft.

Jongdae thought about it and relaxed in his seat. "Yeah, I can. I mean Companions aren't that hard to distinguish from Dolls. Companions are everywhere. Dolls, you don't see them as much. Most owners like to keep them indoors." Jongdae blushed at the little revelation.

"What about Guardians?"

Jongdae shrugged, looking around the floor and seeing mostly Companions by the side of their owners. "Guardians are fairly new and extremely expensive so I'd bet they're rarer to see than Dolls."

"Excuse me, Mr. Kim," Mindy said returning to their side. "If you would just follow me, I'll lead you to the Exclusive Section."

Jongdae's eyes widened as they entered a room in the floor filled with high-quality clothes and classier looking androids. Guardians littered the room with their owners who donned designer clothes.

"This is Cindy, and she will be your new guide," Mindy said gesturing to another pretty Companion. Mindy bid them goodbye and went back outside.

"Welcome, Mr. Kim, to the Exclusive Section. From now on, all your purchases related to Sir Suho shall be conducted here." Cindy gestured to the waiting area, a mini bar in the corner. "What kind of clothes would you want for Sir Suho?"

Jongdae thought about it before giving Cindy a list of clothes he had in mind. "Thank you, please do look around as I bring clothes matching your description."

Jongdae nodded as he watched Cindy leave. He turned to Suho and saw that he eyed the clothes and trinkets all over the place.

"Do you want to look around?" Jongdae asked, smiling at his android coyly. Suho nodded and Jongdae didn't waste a second in dragging Suho to the clothes displayed all over the room. Jongdae peered at them, imagining Suho wearing some of the items.

"This would look nice on you," Jongdae commented as he tugged on Suho to hold a shirt up against him. He nodded as he kept the item in his arms and followed Suho around.

"You don't go to school, do you, Jongdae?" Suho asked suddenly as he pulled out some pants. Jongdae, stunned from the question, found himself gaping.

"I—How do you know that?" Suho looked like he was about to laugh but his face kept the smile. Jongdae noticed the twitches, finding them odd but couldn't focus on the odd quirk.

"I know all the facts there is to know about you, Jongdae." Suho smiled at him, facing his owner before putting back the clothes in his hand. "I know your father owns Kim Manufacturing Inc. Your mother used to work as a designer, famously known as Ms. JK. Your brother graduated from SM Engineering University and is set to inherit KMI."

Suho walked to Jongdae, grabbing the hangers from his arm, smile intact. "You graduated from New Seoul Science High School 3 years ago at the top of your class but has decided not to pursue higher education."

"Well, Mr. Know-It-All," Jongdae started facing away from his android. "If you already knew, you should not have asked."

Suho didn't turn away, keeping his gaze on Jongdae and successfully making Jongdae squirm. Jongdae anxiously bit his lip.

"I want to know why," Suho simply stated. "As your android, I'm granted access to information with regards to you and your family. I know the who, what, where and how. Just not the why."

Jongdae sighed, as he put more hangers into Suho's arms. "I—" Jongdae looked around to see if anyone was close or listening in on their conversation. He found only a few people left in the section and relented. "I wanted to take up business." Jongdae bit his lip hoping Suho would understand and stop prying.

"Excuse me, Mr. Kim, here are clothes fitted to Sir Suho's measurements. Would you like me to find those clothes in his size as well?" Cindy asked, interrupting their conversation. Jongdae nodded, thankful for the distraction as he took the clothes from Cindy's hands and allowed Suho to replace them with the ones from his arms.

"I will be back shortly. The fitting rooms are that way." Cindy gestured to the farthest wall decorated with high mirrors and Jongdae pushed Suho in that direction. Before Suho could open his mouth to say anything, Jongdae pushed his Guardian in a stall and closed the door on him.

No one knew the exact reason why Jongdae hadn't gone to college yet and he was sure, so _sure_ , he would take the answer to his grave. He shook his head as he sat down on the couch opposite of the stalls.

Suho came out of the stall minutes later, donning the first set of clothes. Jongdae loved the style and design from the brand Cindy picked. It accentuated Suho's features so well that Jongdae couldn’t look away from his Guardian. He smiled and allowed Suho’s little fashion show to fill his mind with things other than their talk a while ago.

Pretty soon, Cindy had come back with a new batch of clothes, the styles ranging from casual to formal. Jongdae took them all and handed them to Suho. By the time Suho tried on his nth top and his third pair of pants, all talks of higher education had left Jongdae's mind.

Jongdae truly enjoyed watching Suho try on different clothes and pose a little as he waited for Jongdae's approval. He smiled every time he spotted Suho looking even more handsome than he did with each new set he wore.

"We'll take everything," Jongdae told Cindy as Suho put back his borrowed clothes on. Cindy nodded, smiling at her successful sales as she put all the clothes in a bag and disappeared.

Suho sat beside Jongdae and smiled at his owner, his eyes boring into Jongdae's temple. Jongdae sighed as he turned to his android, cringing when he saw the smile that has been on Suho's face forever.

"Why didn't you take up business?"

Jongdae gaped, but quickly closed his mouth, fighting the urge to groan. He palmed his face, sliding his hands up and down his face before turning to look at his android.

"You're not going to back down until I answer you, aren't you?" Jongdae asked, hoping Suho would _let it go_. Jongdae thought about changing some of Suho's personality, trying to find the category that had 'Nosiness' under it. He dragged a hand down his face and erased those thoughts. He didn't want to change Suho.

Jongdae peered at Suho through his fingers. Suho’s smile looked even kinder with his eyes closed. Jongdae gave up. "I'll tell you in the car, alright?"

Suho nodded, accepting the answer. Just then, Cindy appeared with a tablet.

"Please sign here," She instructed Jongdae and Jongdae signed the forms and took the card she had presented Jongdae. "Please present this card on your next visit. Thank you for your patronage." Cindy handed Jongdae his bags and bowed low.

Jongdae thanked her and gave Suho the bags in his hands as they walked out of the center. Jongdae stayed quiet, dragging Suho to the parking lot and didn't utter a word until the car hovered over the ground.

"I couldn't take business because that would mean going against my brother with his inheritance," Jongdae said bitterly, his eyes trained on the road. "I always wanted to work in the family business, always thought I had a chance. But when it was made final that my brother would become the next CEO after my father, I knew I couldn't take up business."

Suho nodded, his smiling face on the road. "I'm sure you'll find something else you’ll want to do soon enough." Suho reached his hand out and squeezed Jongdae's hand. The gesture surprised Jongdae, but he also found it oddly comforting. He watched Suho's hand hold his and he tightened his grip. "In the meantime, I'll be here to help you until you do."

The car stopped, the light turned red and when Jongdae looked up, Suho had his eyes on him. His lips tilted upwards at the corners and his eyes shone. It was a different smile and Jongdae knew it. Jongdae’s heart picked up speed and he bit his lip, nodding as he returned Suho's smile. It was the first time Suho had smiled at him like that and he would keep this look ingrained in his heart forever.

♡♡♡

Jongae sighs as he enters his room. He throws his bag by the bed and a takes a seat by his messy desk. He dumps his papers on the table and reaches for the folder neatly tucked away in the corner and a pen.

Scribbled in the middle of the sheet is a formula. It looks as though it was haphazardly written. Jongdae gives it no attention as he scribbles in whatever blank spaces are left. He breathes out, puffing his cheeks as he finishes writing. Putting the paper back in its L holder, he tries to ignore the number of papers inside it. He takes some of the paper on his desk and adds it to the pile. He smiles ruefully at his collection before placing it back to its corner.

Jongdae eyes the L holder for a few more seconds before turning his chair, facing the corner of his room where a white life sized box stands. He stares hard at it, almost squinting his eyes as he wills its contents to come to life. He sighs when nothing happens, not a thing in the seconds—minutes that tick by. He drops his head in his hands when _no one_ pops out.

Jongdae hasn't opened that box in a long time. He hasn't seen what's inside it in years. He bites his lip and rotates his chair back to face his mess of papers.

His phone rings on the table, the perfect distraction, and he answers it instantly, letting the voice of his classmate take his mind far far away.

" _Hello, Jongdae?_ "

"Kyungsoo?"

" _Yeah. Baekhyun and Chanyeol wanted to know if we could come over. We wanted to discuss the group work required for R. Eng1._ "

"Yeah, sure."

Jongdae doesn't say or ask any more before he hangs up. And as he collects his study materials and prepares for his guests, not once does his eyes go back to that corner of the room.

♡♡♡

Fingers danced on Jongdae’s waist as the hand it belonged to stroked Jongdae’s side up and down. Jongdae groaned as he nuzzled the fabric in front of him, the arm below his head a comfortable pillow. He turned his head, mumbling as he pressed his ear against the soft body before him.

The soundless depths that greeted him almost made Jongdae fall back into sleep, but the fingers tangling in his hair made it hard. Jongdae muttered and pressed his ear harder against the fabric. He tried focusing on the emptiness, knowing it will lull him back to slumber.

The fingers tapped on his waist and massaged his scalp. Jongdae groaned because he knew full well there was no going back to sleep for him. He muttered and opened his eyes.

"Good morning, Jongdae." Suho graced him with his usual smile as the morning light gave him a silhouette. Jongdae almost gaped at the sight before him, blinking a few times to see if the sight was real. His heart's pace quickened and Jongdae lay down on his back, effectively releasing him from Suho's hold. He closed his eyes and put an arm above his eyes.

"What do you want to do today?"

Jongdae groaned, not at the question, but at the image of Suho burned into the back of his eyelids.

The question was familiar enough that Jongdae delayed his reply. He listened to the sounds of Suho rustling the sheets as he made his way to the bathroom. The water turned on and Jongdae knew that Suho was taking unnecessary baths again. It wouldn't take long now before Suho would sit at the edge of Jongdae's bed and wait for Jongdae's reply.

It was a routine they'd started to form after months of spending every waking and sleeping hour with each other. In Jongdae's case, he did the sleeping and Suho would wait for Jongdae to wake up. Jongdae wondered what Suho did to fill the hours.

The image of Suho's smile was the only thing that Jongdae could see and he opened his eyes, no longer liking the sight. It irritated Jongdae that it was probably Suho's default face but even with the number of times he'd seen it, it still made his heart stop. He slowly sat up, resting his back against the headboard, as he waited for Suho to return.

Suho walked out the bathroom clothed, a towel wrapped around his neck to dry his hair. Jongdae almost choked at the sight so he turned away.

"Why do you always wake me up so early in the morning?" Jongdae asked as his eyes caught sight of the clock on the bedside table.

"It's not good to waste the day," Suho replied, smiling at Jongdae.

Jongdae sighed, crossing his arms. "Should I start calling you my Alarm Clock now or something?" Suho just shrugged.

"Depends, do you want me to be your alarm clock?"

"Wisecrack," Jongdae grumbled, gritting his teeth as Suho's teasing remark looked almost innocent with his ever present smile on his face. Jongdae rolled his eyes and got off the bed.

"Wait for me and we'll go watch a movie or something." Jongdae smacked Suho on the head and stretched before locking the bathroom door. He knew Suho wouldn't dare enter but it had become a habit he couldn't break.

As Jongdae turned on the shower, he tried not to think about the unnerving feeling in his gut at the way Suho smiled. He tried not think about how Suho didn’t have many.

 

 

Jongdae flinched as the zombie on TV appeared out of nowhere, screaming its head off and going after the protagonists in the movie. He tried to keep a straight face, fighting the urge to lean into the body beside him and hide his face.

From his peripheral vision, Jongdae could see Suho flinch and tremble from the sounds. His face contorted for a fraction of a second into _something_ that wasn't his usual smile and then it went back, the smile more pronounced. It almost felt like he wanted to cower more than Jongdae but he _literally_ couldn't do it.

Jongdae cringed as the zombie successfully bit off flesh from the protagonist. He shuddered and turned away from the blood splashing all over the screen. A shiver ran down his spine and he decided to throw all his inhibitions away. Biting his lip, Jongdae leaned onto Suho's shoulder, clinging to his shirt as he hid his face away from the screen.

"Scared?" Suho asked, his voice trembling just the slightest. Jongdae bit his lip harder, keeping his mouth shut and not wanting to answer.

Jongdae whimpered as another round of screaming rang through the speakers. He pressed his forehead against Suho harder and clung a little tighter. "Yes, I am,” Jongdae whispered. “But we're both scaredy-cats so shut up."

He felt Suho stiffen before a hand came to tangle through his hair, and it was then that Jongdae noticed he was trembling. The gesture effectively ceased his shaking as Jongdae focused on the feel of Suho's fingertips.

Soon, the fingers disappeared and Jongdae stayed clutching to Suho's side. His ears made up for his lack of sight and he listened intently to his surroundings. The sounds coming from the TV disappeared and Jongdae felt his shoulders slump.

"I turned the movie off," Suho whispered, his fingers coming back to comb Jongdae's hair. Jongdae sighed and relaxed a little bit more.

"Thank you," Jongdae whispered as he loosened his hold on Suho’s shirt. Jongdae breathed out and closed his eyes, letting Suho's warmth draw him out of thoughts of zombies with blood in their mouth.

"No more scary movies for us," Jongdae muttered. He heard Suho's soft reply and he finally gave up and looked up at his android.

The smile that grated his nerves and made his heart skip a beat was still on Suho's face. Jongdae eyed his android, certain that Suho was just as scared as he was and yet here he was comforting Jongdae. Jongdae shook his head. He didn't want to think about this anymore. If Suho wanted to smile, then he could smile all he wanted.

"What else do you want to do then?"

Jongdae raised a brow at the question.

"You know," Jongdae started as he leaned back on the sofa. "You ask me that question a lot in the span of a day."

Suho just smiled and nodded. "I know," he began. He leaned back on the couch and kept his gaze on the black screen. "I have to ask. Aside from the fact that you programmed me to be that way, I'm also programmed to guarantee my master's satisfaction."

Jongdae nodded, accepting the answer and closed his eyes. "Well," Jongdae paused, thinking of his next words. "From now on, I don't want you to ask me. You either wait for me to tell you what I want to do _or_ you tell me what _you_ want to do."

Jongdae peeked to see Suho's reaction. For the first time, Suho's smile dropped from his face. It was the first time Jongdae had ever seen Suho's face look so _blank_. It lasted for a few more seconds before the smile was back.

"I'll try," Suho whispered, turning to face Jongdae. Jongdae bit his lip as their eyes met. Something about the way Suho's eyes shone in the minimal lighting made Jongdae dizzy.

"Don't try, idiot," Jongdae grumbled, punching Suho's arm lightly. "Do. I gave you more personality than that." Jongdae smiled at Suho and he hoped Suho wouldn't use whatever it was in his system to detect the temperature his face emitted.

"Thank you, Jongdae."

Jongdae bit his lip as he avoided Suho's gaze, feeling the flush go further down his neck. With gritted teeth, Jongdae replied, "You're welcome."

 

Jongdae sat on the park bench and gazed around the park. Children ran and laughed as they chased each other. It felt like a good day, with the sun high in the sky and the wind giving off a cool air.

"Jongdae," Suho called, drawing Jongdae out of his thoughts. Jongdae grinned at the sight of two ice cream cones in Suho's hands. Despite the cool weather, Jongdae had dragged Suho to the park for ice cream.

"Thank you," Jongdae said, hurriedly taking one of the cones from Suho's hand. He straightened his back as he licked the soft serve.

"So," Jongdae asked after licking a few more stripes out of his treat. "How's your first ice cream?" Jongdae turned to Suho and watched his android take small bites of the ice cream.

Suho nodded in approval. "I like it," Suho answered with a smile. Jongdae grinned triumphantly and felt warm all of a sudden, knowing he had caused that reaction.

"Really? That's great." Jongdae looked away and scooted closer to Suho. "Here, why don't you try my flavor." Jongdae shamelessly handed his cone to Suho and his android peered at the cone before taking a small bite out of it.

"I like mine better," Suho declared, his tone smug despite his innocent smile. Jongdae rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"You wouldn't even have that flavor if not for me, idiot." Without warning, Jongdae reached for Suho's arm and licked a big portion off the ice cream. Jongdae laughed at his successful attempt, humming as vanilla exploded and melted in his mouth.

"I still like chocolate better," Jongdae declared, smiling cheekily at Suho.

The corners of Suho’s lips went upwards a little more and Jongdae's eyes caught the movement. It lasted for a second as Suho's shoulders shook. It looked as if he was about to laugh, but then stopped. Suho's soft smile went back and Jongdae scrutinized the android before him and wondered what was wrong.

"Are you alright?" Jongdae asked.

Suho's expression faltered for a second, his mouth opening to answer but no words came out. He closed it and kept smiling. He reached out his hand and wiped the corner of Jongdae's lips.

"You had ice cream at the corner of your lips," Suho offered instead of answering Jongdae's question. Jongdae would have flushed—he probably was—with the gesture but he couldn't focus on his reactions to Suho. Not with the way his android seemed to be having problems.

"Hey," Jongdae uttered, holding on to Suho's arm to get him to stop smiling like nothing's wrong. "You'll tell me if there was something wrong with you, right?"

Suho nodded. "Of course, Jongdae."

Jongdae gulped. Something about Suho's clipped answer didn’t sit well with him. He gave Suho a rueful smile and slid his arm down, intertwining their fingers and squeezing the hand in his. It didn't seem like it was enough but it was all Jongdae could offer.

 

"Why are you reading my manual?" Suho asked as he put down the plate of food he had just finished cooking.

Jongdae looked up from the book he'd had his nose buried in since this morning. He frowned at Suho as he pushed the book away, accepting the food offered to him. He gazed at the food and took a bite out of it. He swallowed and opened his mouth. "I think there's something wrong with you."

Jongdae lifted his head and gauged Suho's reaction. Just as he'd expected, Suho's face faltered for a second before his smile came back on his face. It was as if Suho's system had malfunctioned for that entire second.

"Is the food good?" Suho asked.

Jongdae frowned as Suho tried to stray away from the subject. He also had a feeling Suho would do that but that only spurred the doubt in his heart about Suho. He bit his lip and turned his attention back on the food.

"Yeah, it's great," Jongdae mumbled, stuffing his face with mouthfuls and gulping them down barely chewed on. The swallows were painful, but it helped ease the pain in his heart as he thought about what could be wrong with his Guardian.

"Hey, Suho," Jongdae called out, pushing the plate far away from him and grabbing the manual. Jongdae smiled at Suho as he subtly glanced the manual on the table.

"Guardian Android Voice Command: Sleep," Jongdae said, voice clear but throat constricted.

Jongdae watched as Suho's eyes closed and his android stayed completely still. He took a deep breath and turned the pages.

"Guardian Android Voice Command: Personalization Panel," Jongdae hurriedly said, going over the Personalization Panel pages. He surveyed the instructions, words he'd already gone over the first time and the past few weeks. He's practically memorized them by now.

The panel glowed out of Suho's now robotic blue eyes and the view looked so abnormal, so un-Suho-like that it made it hard to look. Jongdae walked to Suho's side, crossing over the screen and leaving it to glow on his body. He lifted a hand to caress Suho's cheek, turning his face to him. Suho's skin was still warm on Jongdae's skin and the contact made Jongdae determined to continue what he was doing.

"Don't worry, Suho," Jongdae started as he backed away. "I'm just going to complete your personalization." Jongdae gulped as he glanced at the screen before him. "I probably shouldn't have left those gaps," he muttered. He knew he was just mumbling to himself now, justifying his actions to himself. "It's probably why you're acting up. Don't worry."

It didn't take long for Jongdae to complete the set up. Some of the categories he'd already known what he'd wanted to do with them. It was just this one category that made him reluctant. Jongdae gulped as he picked it, the only one left. The screen glowed, ' _Sex_.'

Jongdae bit his lip and filled everything out, ignoring the unpleasant way his stomach churned. He knew he was never going to use Suho for this purpose.

"I just—" Jongdae filled out the missing pieces of Suho's personality. "I just don't know what else to do aside from this." Jongdae tapped on the ' _Save_ ' button and let the personalization sync, surprised that it had been faster than the first time.

"You're going to be alright now," Jongdae uttered, barely even believing his own words.

"Good Afternoon, Jongdae." Suho opened his eyes and smiled at Jongdae, his usual smile.

Jongdae bit his lip and enveloped Suho in his arms. He took a deep breath and basked in the feeling of warmth, the missing vibrations and the soundless heartbeats. Deep down, at the pit of his gut, he knew something was still wrong.

 

The doubt that crept in Jongdae’s head kept him up at night, nearly to the point of haunting his dreams. He bit his lip as he turned in his bed, finding him face-to-face with Suho, who was still very much awake.

"Why aren't you asleep, yet?" Suho smiled as he extended his arm out to Jongdae.

Jongdae eyed Suho carefully before sighing, scooting closer to his android and laying his head down on his arm. After becoming comfortable by Suho's side, Jongdae looked into Suho's warm chocolate eyes. He smiled back at him, caressing the android’s cheek.

"Just thinking," Jongdae answered as he brought his hand down. He thought for another moment before clinging closer to Suho.

Jongdae pressed his ear against Suho's chest and listened for the quietness. Suho didn't breathe, nor did he have a heart that needed to beat. Suho was quiet and still and it calmed Jongdae every night to listen to nothing, just basking in the feeling of Suho draped all over him. This was how Jongdae fell asleep every night since he’d gotten Suho.

"Tomorrow," Jongdae whispered, clinging tighter on Suho's sweater. "Let's watch my favorite movie."

Suho nodded as he pulled Jongdae closer, wrapping his free arm around Jongdae's waist. "Alright. Good night, Jongdae."

Jongdae hummed as Suho held him close. It didn't take him long before sleep took him in his arms. Tomorrow Jongdae would settle the doubt creeping up from his toes and threatening to overwhelm him.

 

Jongdae's favorite movie had a heavy plot, great dramatic lines and even some awesome action scenes. The reason he'd picked this movie was because it always made Jongdae laugh and cry, always made him _feel_ different things. He wanted to see if it could do the same for Suho.

Selecting the movie in the panel, Jongdae plopped by Suho's side on the couch. He found comfort in the arm that Suho draped over the couch's backrest, the warmth tickling the back of Jongdae's neck. He leaned into it a little as the opening credits of the movie began to play.

Jongdae knew it was sly of him to test Suho out, to doubt his incredible system when he was probably the only one who had a malfunctioning android. He bit his lip as thoughts like these kept circling his mind. He could barely focus on the movie. Even though he knew if he complained, he could just get a new Guardian. He cleared his head of such thoughts.

He took a deep breath as he scooted closer to Suho's side. He allowed Suho's presence to calm him like it did most times. He didn't want to think about this anymore. If there was something wrong with Suho, Jongdae would just have him fixed. His parents could just pay for it in the meantime. They'd be more than willing to, he was sure.

Jongdae closed his eyes. This was his favorite movie they were watching and he'd appreciate it if his mind didn't wander. The movie was just beginning when Jongdae decided to pay attention and he let its fictional world swallow his doubts whole.

Somehow, in the middle of the movie, Jongdae's stomach felt funny, like the acid inside it kept burning everything inside him. It wasn't hunger—he had already eaten with Suho. It was something else. Every time he glanced at Suho, the feeling grew.

Suho stiffened every time a funny joke appeared on TV and then smiled again. He hadn't laughed, not even a slight curl of the lips upward. He just smiled. Some of the tear jerking scenes had already gone by and where Jongdae had wiped some tears, Suho barely batted an eye. Jongdae was sure he had programmed Suho to be soft-hearted.

Jongdae bit his lip as the hand clutching Suho's shirt tightened its hold on the fabric. The climax of the movie was about to happen and if Suho still kept that smile on his face, Jongdae knew he was going to lose it.

The sound of the car crashing in the movie echoed in the entertainment room and Jongdae whipped his head back to the television. The car tumbled and turned, the lover of the protagonist still inside it. Jongdae could see blood, all over the screen and all over his head. Everything in the movie went in slow motion.

Screams, sirens, and all sorts of sounds echoed in Jongdae's ears. The movie kept playing but Jongdae saw something else. Jongdae turned to his side and saw a tear slide down Suho's smiling face. Suho's brows furrowed and he frowned, tears cascading his cheeks. It was the first real emotion Jongdae had seen on Suho.

Someone screamed in the movie and Jongdae saw from his peripheral vision that it was the protagonist. The scream kept playing in his head as he watched Suho's face look pained and then slowly his lips lifted to its original smile. His mind kept playing the scream over and over again until it was all Jongdae could hear.

"Why are you smiling!?" Jongdae heard himself shout. It was then that he realized that he was the one screaming, that he was hearing himself.

"You were crying just a few seconds ago? Why are you smiling? Why are you _always_ smiling?" Jongdae kept shouting, his voice growing so loud he was sure the entire mansion could hear. "What's wrong with you?"

As soon as the words left his lips, Jongdae had regretted ever letting them go. Suho's face looked so shocked, his eyes wide and his mouth open. It was as if he didn't know as well. He looked so confused as his brows furrowed and he brought a hand to his head.

"What's," Suho started, cradling his head in his hands. "What's wrong with me?" He asked. He kept repeating the question, his voice normal at the start before it turned robotic.

Jongdae stood up in shock, kneeling over to Suho's side to pull his hands away.

"Suho, Suho, look at me," Jongdae desperately called out. Suho's eyes were going from blue to chocolate and Jongdae felt his heart stop, his breath hitch.

"...wrong with me?" Suho said brokenly his voice robotic and so unlike him. "...wrong..."

"Guardian Android System Malfunction." A male robotic voice kept repeating. Jongdae's blood ran cold and he ran out, screaming for help to anyone who would listen.

♡♡♡

Jongdae's fingers work quickly on the keys of his laptop, tapping different characters and letters. His foot shakes and shakes like there’s no tomorrow, and even so he reaches for the mug of coffee by the side. He drinks the thankfully still warm liquid carefully so as not spill over his work.

"Jongdae," someone greets as they open the doors of the lab.

Jongdae doesn't look up from his laptop. "Hey, Baek," he greets back as he finishes typing. His right leg has stopped shaking but his left has started in its place. "Kyungsoo and Chanyeol just got some breakfast."

"Have you guys been here all night?" Baekhyun asks as he places his things on a desk that isn't as cluttered as the others.

"Yeah," Jongdae answers with a yawn. "It's just that we're so close with the system and Chanyeol's gotten really excited at the thought of working on prototypes."

"Sorry I couldn't help out last night." Baekhyun takes a seat beside Jongdae and tries to make sense of the formulas on his computer screen. "Is this the program?"

"Yeah," Jongdae replies as he scoots over so Baekhyun can have a better look. "After I finish these set of codes, Kyungsoo said to give you the next shift." Jongdae finally takes his eyes away from the screen. He gives Baekhyun an apologetic smile. Jongdae’s eyes have gotten red and swollen from the sleepless nights.

Baekhyun shakes his head and smacks Jongdae on the back. "Don't worry about it, stupid."

"I bet you offered to take either Chanyeol or Kyungsoo's coding shifts," Baekhyun comments as he takes the paper Jongdae hands him. The paper has the code scribbled neatly on it. Jongdae bites his lip as he finishes up the last set of codes.

"Actually, I offered to take both but they declined."

Jongdae laughs it off but he can feel the scrutinizing gaze Baekhyun gives him.

"Look," Baekhyun starts as Jongdae takes his hands and eyes off the monitor and keys. "I know you've got a lot hanging on this system, but you've gotta trust us."

Jongdae takes a deep breath.

"We're back!" Chanyeol's loud voice rings in the lab, and Jongdae gives Baekhyun a rueful smile. Baekhyun shakes his head, mentally telling Jongdae their talk isn't over, yet.

"Yo," Kyungsoo goes over Jongdae's chair and hands him some snacks. "I called your mother and she sent a driver. Why don't you go sleep and we'll wake you up when he arrives?"

"Thanks," Jongdae accepts the snacks and heads over to the beds in the lab.

"You better sleep, Kim Jongdae!" Chanyeol commands and Jongdae scoffs as he throws a pillow at Chanyeol.

"I will," Jongdae whispers as he lies down, foregoing the snacks for sleep.

Deep inside, he's thankful for Chanyeol, Baekhyun and Kyungsoo. Without them, Jongdae would have never gotten this far.

♡♡♡

Jongdae paced back and forth, occasionally turning to stare at the glass that separated him from his android.

"Jongdae, honey," his mother's sweet voice filled his ears and Jongdae turned to her, falling into his mother's warm embrace. "It's going to be fine."

Jongdae bit his lip as he held his sobs at bay. He had cried when they had arrived here and it had been hours since then. He didn't want to cry anymore. He was sure Suho wouldn't want him to cry as well. He took a deep breath and calmed himself down, allowing his mother's words of comfort to soothe him.

"Mr. Kim," a man in white called out. Jongdae immediately walked to him, feeling cold when his mother's warmth left him. "I'm SM Systems Head Engineer, Kim Jongin." Jongin held out his hand which Jongdae reluctantly shook.

"I know I wasn't the original scientist working with Suho but we've noticed something unique about him." Jongin lead Jongdae inside the room where Suho was currently monitored. Men in white robes hovered over him and made it hard for Jongdae to see his robot.

"Mr. Kim?" Jongin called out and Jongdae turned his attention back to the engineer. "If you would look here, these are Suho's emotional levels." Jongin gestured to the screen with bars of varying sizes and percentages at the bottom. "In this part, we have Suho's monitored emotional levels." Jongin enlarged the left part of the screen and the bars showed that the levels were half of their original size.

"As you can see from here, it's only about fifty percent." Jongin minimized the screen. "It's completely normal as we ensure androids to never feel too much. Giving them emotions that they have no proper control over sends their system into overdrive."

Jongdae opened his mouth, a question at the tip of his tongue, but Jongin cut him off with a hand. "Here, we can see Suho's original emotional levels." Jongin enlarged the right side of the screen and overlapped it with the first image. The bars showed greater heights than the first one, their numbers at the bottom skyrocketing and changing.

"From here," Jongin pointed out. "It's obvious that your android has no control over his emotions and he doesn't respond well to the limitations that we have over him. Do you understand?"

Jongdae mulled over it for a second. "So, you're saying, he's feeling too much for an android?"

"That and the Emotional Limits we've set for him are too low so his system is shutting down." Jongin waited for the information to sink in.

"There's something that you can do, right?" Jongdae asked, not liking the quiet demeanor that Jongin had.

For a moment, Jongin looked at the graphs and then turned his attention back on Jongdae. "Luckily, we keep these limitations only at fifty percent and we can move it to one hundred. It might help Suho's system work with his emotions." Jongin glanced to the side, watching his team continue observing Suho.

"But?" Jongdae asked, knowing there was going to be some sort of sacrifice.

"It might not work forever."

"What do you mean?" Jongdae's throat felt dry, the words barely coming out as it hurt to speak or breathe.

"We're not sure increasing his Emotional Limits will stop his system from shutting down in the future. It's a temporary solution. At this rate, if your android's emotional levels continue to skyrocket, even with the highest setting of Emotional Limitations, his system’s going to malfunction."

Jongdae closed his eyes, the image of Suho's blue eyes and robotic voice haunting him. He swallowed the lump in his throat. "What happens when his system malfunctions?"

"He's going to be useless. His system's going to fry. He will return to his original appearance and his functionality will disappear. The only thing you will be able to do with him is sell him for parts." Jongin sighed and Jongdae looked up to find pity in his eyes.

Jongin put a hand on Jongdae's shoulder and squeezed it as a comforting gesture.

"I'm going to give you some advice," Jongin whispered before eyeing the people behind him to see if they were paying attention. "Try the new adjustment out. It will work. You'll notice that Suho's able to show more emotions but it also won't last long. So you're going to have to beat it. If you shut Suho down before his system becomes obsolete, then in a way you'll be able to save him."

"Why?"

"Because you've grown attached to a robot who was programmed to love you from the start." Jongin shrugged. "I'm not holding it against you. You're not the only one." Jongin smiled solemnly at Jongdae, glancing down to the floor as if to avoid Jongdae's eyes. "I can see the desperation in your eyes. You want to save Suho and this will probably be the only way."

Jongdae gritted his teeth, took a deep breath and looked into Jongin's eyes. "Thank you," Jongdae said feeling the tears prick the corners of his eyes.

"Good luck, Mr. Kim."

 

The dark room greeted Jongdae as he allowed the maids to carry Suho's body to the bed. He closed the door and sat at the edge of his bed. Suho's blond hair shone in the moonlight and he sighed as he stroked the strands. He moved Suho's body to his side of the bed and tucked him under the covers.

Jongdae hopped in the bed after he had changed clothes. He tucked himself to Suho's side and laid his head on top of Suho's chest. Before, he'd found comfort in hearing nothing, feeling nothing but the warmth of Suho, but today he wished he could hear even just a tiny thrum. It didn't have to be a heartbeat, all Jongdae wanted was a sign that Suho would wake up when morning came.

Jongdae cried himself to sleep that night, cursing whoever it was that allowed this to happen to him.

 

Fingers tangled in Jongdae's hair and a hand pulled him close to a warm and soft surface. He groaned as he nuzzled whoever's chest it was that was in front of him.

It took a few seconds before it registered—the fingers tangling in his hair, the warmth that enveloped him and the arm on his waist. Jongdae opened his eyes, bleary and tired from all the crying he did. A few seconds passed before everything became clear.

The sun gave Suho a silhouette as he smiled down at Jongdae. Jongdae blinked as he brought a hand to caress Suho's cheeks. It was the first time Jongdae had ever seen Suho smile like that. It felt warmer than the one Suho used to have. It made Jongdae's heart ache, throbbing as it stopped beating for a fraction of a second.

"Good morning, Jongdae," his velvety voice whispered and Jongdae couldn't help it as he wrapped his arms around his android.

"You're alright," Jongdae muttered, holding Suho tighter and tighter. Tears fell and Jongdae knew he'd probably leave a wet patch on Suho's clothes but he couldn't stop himself.

"You're alright," Jongdae kept repeating as he cried.

"I am," Suho whispered as he held Jongdae's head and rubbed his back with his free hand. "I'm alright, Jongdae."

 

Jongdae smiled as Suho laughed at the movie they were watching. He leaned his head down on Suho's shoulder, loving the way Suho's arm automatically wrapped around him.

The Suho now seemed to have more expressions than the Suho before and it seemed to be the only change since they got back from SM Android Maintenance Center. It wasn't that Jongdae minded it much, he rather liked it. Suho looked less constrained now as he laughed or frowned. He didn’t look like he was having such a hard time expressing himself. Jongdae liked that.

"What are you doing?" Suho asked as he peered at Jongdae. Jongdae looked up and found Suho smiling down at him. Jongdae bit his lip. Ever since then, Suho hasn't smiled the way he used to. Right now, the smile Suho gave Jongdae was the same one he had when he woke Jongdae up when they got back from the center. It was softer and kinder, and seemed to be Jongdae's alone.

"I was thinking about you," Jongdae answered truthfully as he returned his gaze back to the screen.

Jongdae hadn't told Suho the things that could—would—happen to him. He preferred to keep them a secret knowing it wouldn't help the both of them. There was nothing they could do anyway but enjoy the time they had together.

"You seem to do that a lot nowadays," Suho commented as he kept his eyes on the screen.

Jongdae wrapped his arms around Suho's waist and reveled in the feeling of Suho in his arms. Suho was soft and hard at the same time, his parts protruding like bones in certain areas even if he wasn't too thin. He was always warm, his body never going cold even as the weather began to cool down for winter. Jongdae would miss this when it was gone.

Suho's arms wrapped around Jongdae, stroking his hair as he continued to watch the movie. Jongdae fought the tears that threatened to fall. He wasn't going to cry about this. He wasn't going to think about what might happen anymore. Determined, Jongdae strengthened his resolve and took a deep breath.

Jongdae didn't have much time left with Suho and so, he was going to make every second count.

 

Jongdae watched as Suho opened the curtains, allowing the moonlight to flood the whole room.

"I've always wanted to do that," Suho muttered as he walked back to bed. Jongdae's heart ached at Suho's words, realizing bit by bit how Suho's expressions weren't the only thing limited by his system.

Suho crawled to the bed and extended his arm out for Jongdae. He had cheeky smile on his face, one that made Jongdae's toes curl and his stomach churn. Jongdae chuckled as he laid his head on the arm.

"Wipe that smile off your face," Jongdae warned with no real threat as he settled into Suho's side. Suho shook his head and gave Jongdae his soft smile. Suho pulled the blanket over them and pulled Jongdae close in his embrace.

Suho looked into Jongdae's eyes and Jongdae watched as the moonlight glowed on Suho's skin. Slowly, a frown replaced Suho’s smile. Jongdae bit his lip as he waited for Suho to say something, sensing something was bothering his android.

"Jongdae," Suho started as he settled his hand on Jongdae's waist. "What happened to me?"

"Nothing." Jongdae shrugged. Something made it hard to continue, but he knew he couldn't tell Suho the truth. "It seems like completing the gaps in your Personalization Panel was all it was.” Jongdae stroked Suho's fringe away from his eyes and caressed his cheeks. His heart skipped a beat when he saw Suho close his eyes and lean in to his touch.

"Why can’t I seem to remember much of anything that happened after we watched your favorite movie? Are you sure nothing happened?” Suho asked once his eyes were open. He held Jongdae's hand in his, drawing it closer to his lips so he could plant a soft kiss inside his palm. Jongdae felt his cheeks flame.

"You must’ve fallen asleep. We can just watch it again.” Jongdae's throat closed up.

“Nothing happened to me?” Suho intertwined their fingers, their skin shining in the moonlight as Suho kept it on his cheek.

“Nothing. You’re okay. You’re fine,” Jongdae whispered. He scooted closer to Suho and allowed the hand he was holding to wrap around his shoulders. Suho's fingers played with his skin at the bottom of his hairline. It tickled his nape but he felt oddly comforted.

“Then why do you look so sad?”

Jongdae swore he could have cried right then and there. But he held it in. He bit his lip, took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He wasn't going to cry, not anymore.

“Do I?” Jongdae asked, not knowing how to answer. Suho must've noticed how Jongdae avoided the subject because he didn't answer Jongdae's question. He heard Suho sigh and when he opened his eyes, Suho's face was only centimeters away from his.

“Jongdae, do you believe I’m capable of loving?” The question shocked Jongdae. He could barely process the words as Suho's face and his warm eyes made it hard to focus.

“Why?” he heard himself ask, glad that his mouth could talk without much help from his brain.

“Because I think I love you.”

Tears pricked the corners of Jongdae's eyes and his heart hurt. It hurt to even breathe. It felt like someone held onto his heart and wouldn't let go.

“You think or you know?” Jongdae closed his eyes as he asked, fighting back the tears he could feel that were bound to fall any second.

“That’s unfair," Suho replied as he caressed Jongdae's cheeks, making the latter open his eyes.

Jongdae could feel the tears at the edge of his eyes. He hoped Suho wouldn't say anything.

"I'm sorry," Suho whispered as he kissed Jongdae's forehead.

Jongdae shook his head and let Suho wrap him in his embrace.

“Guardian Android Voice Command: Sleep,” he whispered.

_Just this once_ , he thought to himself. Enveloped in Suho’s warmth, Jongdae finally let himself cry. Tears soaked Suho's sleep shirt but Jongdae couldn't help himself.

"What's unfair is that _I_ love you but you, you're not even sure," he choked out.

 

"Can you believe it?" Jongdeok asked as they ate dinner. "It's been almost a year since we had Suho."

"I know!" Jongdae's mother cooed. "Which means, Jongdae's birthday is coming!"

"Are you excited, son?" Jongdae's father asked, effectively drawing Jongdae out of the depths of his thoughts.

"Yes, I am," Jongdae replied as he forked some food into his mouth. If he were honest, he hadn't even remembered his birthday was coming soon.

"Do you want to celebrate, honey?" his mother asked.

Jongdae looked up from his food and saw Suho smile at him, the smile that was Jongdae's favorite.

"No need, mother," Jongdae responded. "I would love to just spend it with all of you."

"Brat!" his older brother commented as he ruffled Jongdae's hair.

"Dinner at home with your favorite food should be enough, right, Jongdae?" his father asked and Jongdae nodded, finding comfort in the small talk that went around the dining table.

"More than enough, father."

"Is there really nothing else you want, honey?"

Jongdae shook his head at his mother. He turned to look at Suho, their eyes locking as he replied, "There's nothing else." He saw Suho swallow his food, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down.

That night, as they lay in bed, Jongdae cradled in Suho's arms, Suho asked him, "What do you want for your birthday?"

Jongdae pressed his ear against Suho's chest. No sounds came, it didn't even rise or fall. It was just quiet like it had always been, but Jongdae wanted to remember the way the silence lulled him.

"You," Jongdae whispered, enveloping Suho in his arms and committing to memory every little thing there was about this.

Suho chuckled as he tightened his hold on Jongdae. "What do you mean, Jongdae?"

Jongdae took in the way Suho said his name, always soft like it was a melody that he caressed with his voice. It had always made his breath hitch.

Jongdae pulled away from Suho to look into his eyes. One of his hands slid up Suho's back and caressed the back of Suho's head.

"You know what I mean, right?" Jongdae answered. He closed his eyes and brought his lips to Suho's ear. "I want you, Suho," Jongdae whispered, his breath fanning Suho's ear and for some reason, Jongdae reveled in his ability to make Suho shiver.

Jongdae tucked himself under Suho's chin, pressing his ear against Suho's chest. He could feel Suho's Adam's apple bob up and down as he swallowed and Jongdae smirked triumphantly. He knew Suho understood.

"Good night, Suho," Jongdae whispered, pressing a kiss against Suho's neck.

"Good night, Jongdae."

When Jongdae was sure Suho was asleep and wouldn't wake up, he went into the bathroom and cried. Because, in that moment, it was clear that the time for Jongdae to let Suho go was coming.

 

 

Jongdae smiled up at Suho as he straightened out the creases on his polo, the palms of his hands feeling planes of Suho's toned chest. Suho smiled down at him. His fringe fell over his eyes, almost covering them, giving him a sleek look.

"You look good," Jongdae commented as he fixed the collar, his hands lingering on Suho's shoulders.

"Thank you," Suho whispered as he stepped back and grabbed the suit jacket on Jongdae's bed.

"I'm going down first," Jongdae declared. He didn't wait for Suho's response before he closed the door. He hoped Suho would take a while to finish. He hurried down the steps and sighed in relief when he found his family gathered by the dining room.

"Father, Mother, Hyung," Jongdae called their attention. "I wanted to talk to you about Suho." Jongdae paused, took a deep breath and gave them a rueful smile.

"Honey?" Jongdae's mother urged.

"I'm doing it tomorrow." Jongdae's voice came out softer than he'd like. "I'm shutting him down tomorrow." Jongdae looked up, not realizing he'd suddenly turned his gaze to the floor. He found his family looking at him with sad eyes.

"And you still don't want to tell him, son?" his father asked, walking toward him to put a comforting hand on his arm.

Jongdae shook his head in reply. "What difference does it make whether I tell him or not?"

"Tell me what?"

Jongdae looked behind him to find Suho's questioning gaze. He heard his father sigh behind him and he could feel the air around them grow tense. Jongdae took a deep breath, ready to spout another lie.

"Suho," his father began, cutting Jongdae. Jongdae felt his father's grip on his arm tighten, effectively silencing him. "There's something you need to know." Jongdae stopped breathing, his father's grip on his arm loosening. "But it's not something you should hear from me." His father looked at Jongdae, eyeing him meaningfully.

"Jongdae," his father commanded. "You have to tell him." Tears began pooling at the edge of Jongdae’s eyes. Before any of them could fall, he felt his mother's hands on his shoulders, massaging them to ease the tension.

"It's going to be alright, honey," she whispered, kissing the back of his head.

"We're going to eat out," Jongdeok declared. "We'll leave you two alone to talk."

Jongdae didn't know how many minutes had passed since he heard the front doors click shut. He didn't know how long it's been since they had left Suho and him standing by the dining hall.

Suho's dress shoes clacked against the marble as he walked forward, closing in on Jongdae. Jongdae sucked in a breath as Suho's hands went to his own, slowly sliding them up until his palms were warm on Jongdae's cheeks.

"What have you been keeping from me?" Suho whispered when he successfully lifted Jongdae's face to look into his eyes. Jongdae could see pain in Suho's eyes and the sadness in his smile. Jongdae's lips trembled as he held onto Suho's hands, bringing them down and tangling their fingers together.

"Let's talk upstairs."

Jongdae made for Suho to sit at the edge of the bed with him, kicking off his shoes so he could sit over his covers with his legs crossed. He still had Suho's hands in his and he made Suho turn towards him, tightening their intertwined fingers in his hold.

"Before I tell you anything else," Jongdae began, hating the way his voice broke at the end of his sentence. "I want you to know that I had my own reasons for keeping this from you."

Suho gave him a solemn smile, taking his shoes off and planting his legs by Jongdae's side. With their hands, he pulled Jongdae in the space between his legs embraced him. "I promise I'll try to understand you for whatever reason you had for keeping whatever it was a secret," Suho whispered as he drew away.

Jongdae leaned into Suho, rested his head against Suho's shoulder and took a deep breath.

"I lied." Jongdae exhaled a shaky breath. "I lied when I told you there was nothing wrong with you. I lied when I said you were going to be fine. I lied about everything." Jongdae sobbed as gripped on Suho's arm that still held him close. "I lied and I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry.

The engineer—the engineer said that you were—you were having emotional levels your system c-couldn't control." Jongdae took a deep breath, trying to help alleviate the pressure on his chest. He couldn't breathe steadily, let alone speak. Suho's hand stroked the back of his head and Jongdae took courage from it to continue. "They increased the emotional levels that your system could take but but—"

Jongdae cried, screaming his heart out as he thought about the words he was about to say. He couldn't say them, he didn't want to say them. Letting them go would mean acknowledging the truth he had been trying so hard to avoid, to forget.

"But what, Jongdae?" Suho asked, his voice strained but soft.

"But he said—he said that with your emotional levels, you would eventually fry your system." Jongdae sobbed into Suho's suit jacket, uncaring how he was ruining the material with his tears.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. I'm sorry." Jongdae kept repeating as Suho held him in his arms. Suho still stroked the back of his head, massaging his scalp with the tips of his fingers. His free hand drew comforting circles on his back. But it didn't matter what Suho did, Jongdae would keep crying and crying because this was the truth and nothing would—could—change it.

"It's alright, Jongdae," Suho began, his voice breaking. "I understand why you didn't want to tell me."

Jongdae pulled away from Suho's embrace. He was about to question whether he really understood or not, but bit his lip instead when he saw Suho’s expression. Suho's cheeks shone with wet trails; even so, he had a soft smile on his face. Jongdae choked back a sob and wiped Suho's tears.

"You don't understand," Jongdae whispered as he leaned his forehead against Suho's. "I didn't want to tell you because—" Jongdae took a shaky breath, letting it go just as shakily. "Because if you knew, it would make it real."

"I'm sorry," Suho whispered as he brought Jongdae closer, circling his arms around Jongdae's waist and holding him close. "I'm sorry," Suho kept repeating as he showered Jongdae's face with kisses. "I'm sorry."

Jongdae cried as he took Suho's apologies in. Every once in a while, he too would apologize. They stayed wrapped in each other's embrace just apologizing and when Jongdae was too tired to cry, he pulled Suho down the bed and just held his Guardian close.

"I wasn't planning on burning you out, you know?" Jongdae hiccuped as he peered into Suho's eyes. For the first time since they've shared the bed, Jongdae found himself on Suho's side. The moonlight hit Suho's body wonderfully; bathing him in its magnificent glow and making him look iridescent.

"I was planning on shutting you down before that could happen," Jongdae whispered, caressing Suho's cheek. Suho closed his eyes and leaned into the touch. Jongdae memorized this picturesque moment.

"When?"

Jongdae didn't think it was still possible for him to cry as a few more tears slipped down his face.

"Tomorrow," Jongdae muttered, his voice breaking. He opened his mouth, to say something, to apologize again, but nothing came out.

"Don't say you're sorry," Suho whispered, moving closer to Jongdae and twining their fingers. "No more sorrys." Suho kissed the tips of Jongdae's fingers, kissing lower down his palm to his wrist.

"I understand," Suho whispered as he pulled Jongdae closer to him. Their foreheads touched and their noses bumped. Jongdae's heartbeat quickened its pace and he sucked in a breath as Suho leaned in.

"I love you, Jongdae," Suho said, lips brushing against his own before capturing them.

It was their first kiss together and Jongdae melted into the touch, his lips molding into Suho's. When Jongdae realized what was going on, he pushed Suho back a little, regretfully breaking away from the kiss.

"What are you doing?" he scolded and Suho chuckled as he pulled back, giving Jongdae the space he seemed to want.

"I'm giving you your birthday present."

"Are you insane?" Jongdae hit Suho lightly on the shoulder as he adjusted his head on the pillows.

"No," Suho said with a sad smile as he rested a hand on Jongdae's cheek, his thumb stroking the skin under his eyes softly. "But I want to make the most of the time I have left with you."

Jongdae didn't know what he could to say to that. He wanted to apologize, wanted to agree, wanted to disagree. He wanted more time to do these things with Suho but he didn't know how much more time Suho could have.

"Don't say anything," Suho whispered as he kissed Jongdae's forehead. "Don't think of anything." Suho kissed him at the tip of his nose. "Just let me make love to you," Suho whispered against Jongdae's lips, teasingly brushing them together but not quite kissing them.

Jongdae shivered at the softness of Suho's voice and the sincerity in his eyes.

"Let's not talk about this anymore," Suho whispered against his ear, causing Jongdae to tremble. "Let me shower you with love on our last night together."

"I love you," Suho said firmly, his eyes looking straight into Jongdae's as he leaned in.

"I love you, too." Jongdae smiled at Suho and met him halfway.

 

Jongdae smiled up at Suho and watched him undress as Suho straddled his thighs. After Suho tugged off his tie, he pulled Jongdae to a sitting position and helped him take off his coat.

Jongdae busied his fingers with unbuttoning Suho's shirt. He marveled at the sight of Suho's pale skin and committed it to memory. He traced the small sliver of skin that appeared as he popped two more buttons. He looked up at the look of desire on Suho's face and placed a soft kiss on his skin, smiling as Suho moaned. With each button that came loose, Jongdae would kiss lower and lower down Suho's torso. As the last button came off, Suho hurriedly pulled his shirt out of his pants and threw them away.

"Enough of that," he whispered against Jongdae's lips as he laid him down and ripped Jongdae's shirt off of him. He kissed Jongdae, pulling him close as he took off Jongdae's shirt for him.

Suho sat back up and admired the way Jongdae's skin seemed to gleam from the lights outside the window. "So beautiful," Suho muttered as he slid his hands up Jongdae's stomach, feeling the heat against his palm.

Jongdae moaned as Suho's fingers explored the planes of his chest before finding his nipples. "So so beautiful," Suho whispered as he kissed a line up Jongdae's neck.

Jongdae felt the fingers that were resting against his nipples, Suho's lips all over his neck and his hips grinding down on him. He moaned as Suho placed open mouthed kisses below his collarbone, Suho sucking on the skin hard enough to leave a mark. He licked and nibbled on the skin as he lifted his lips and began sucking lower down Jongdae's chest. He shivered at the idea of Suho marking him everywhere.

"Suho," Jongdae called out as he pressed Suho's head closer to him, lifting his hips up to meet with Suho's.

When Suho finished marking Jongdae, he pressed a kiss on each mark, muttering the same words over and over again.

"I love you."

Jongdae took in the sound of Suho’s soft voice and tucked it into the corners of his mind. He gasped as Suho's tongue circled the surface around his left nipple. Suho's fingers did the same to the right, their heat hovering over the almost hard nub.

"Suho," Jongdae cried out as Suho took the nipple in his mouth, licking and sucking. Jongdae could only tangle his fingers through Suho's hair as he felt his arousal grow stronger. " _Suho_."

Suho traced a line with his tongue between one nipple to the other, enveloping the hardened bud. Jongdae bit his lip as he felt Suho's fingers intertwine with his, squeezing the hand in his as he let Suho's tongue flick his nipple.

Once Suho finished playing with his nipples, Suho moved back to kiss Jongdae, undoing the belt around Jongdae’s waist. Jongdae opened his mouth and let Suho's tongue wrap around his own as he helped Suho undo his pants. Once Jongdae kicked them off, Jongdae pulled away from the kiss as he took off Suho's pants.

Suho kissed the side of Jongdae's neck and marked the skin of his shoulder. Jongdae moaned at each suck.

Once bare for their eyes to see, Jongdae stared lovingly at Suho as he pushed him down and changed their positions. Jongdae leaned his head on Suho's shoulder. He could hear his heartbeat pounding in the room. He closed his eyes as he grinded down on Suho's hard cock. Jongdae kissed the skin right before his lips before smiling as he sucked on it. Before he knew it, he was leaving his own marks against Suho's pale skin, almost a straight line down Suho's crotch.

Jongdae wrapped a hand around the base of his cock and Suho moaned. He looked into Suho's eyes as the fingers on his left hand tangled with Suho's. He didn't take his eyes away as he opened his mouth and took in Suho's length.

Suho groaned as his grip on Jongdae's hand tightened and his other hand pulled on Jongdae's strands. Jongdae hollowed his cheeks and kept his gaze on Suho even as Suho’s eyes closed from the pleasure. Jongdae sucked as he bobbed his head up and down and used his hand to cover whatever his mouth couldn't.

Suho opened his eyes and found Jongdae licking a stripe up his cock, his tongue sliding around the underside of his cockhead. Suho pulled harder on Jongdae's hair and Jongdae moaned, eyes looking straight into Suho's eyes as he enveloped him back in his mouth. Suho eyes had desire burned into them and Jongdae smirked as he continued to give Suho a show. 

"Jongdae," Suho called out as he watched Jongdae's eyes glaze over. "Jongdae, I'm going to—" Before Suho could finish his sentence, Jongdae pulled away from Suho's cock, his fingers circling the base.

He smiled as he kissed Suho, allowing his lover to have a taste of himself. Suho rolled them over so he was hovering over Jongdae.

"I love you," Jongdae whispered as Suho pulled away.

Suho stroked Jongdae's cheek and kissed him on the forehead, telling him without words what his reply was. He continued to kiss Jongdae's closed eyes and cheeks, kissing every bit of skin on Jongdae's face.

"Where's the lube?" Suho breathily asked and Jongdae opened his eyes at the question, forgetting for a moment how important it was that they find the lube.

Jongdae flushed as he remembered where he kept his lube hidden. Looking away as he whispered, "Under the mattress, on your side."

Suho smiled as he kissed Jongdae's flushed cheeks, his arm reaching under the mattress. His hand immediately reached the bottle of lube and feeling some packet of condoms, he picked some too.

Jongdae saw the lube and condom on Suho's hands and memorized the way Suho looked as he sat in between Jongdae's legs. The moonlight made his hair and skin shine. He looked so handsome and Jongdae wanted to engrave this beauty into the core of his heart.

He lifted a hand to stroke Suho's fringe away from his eyes and caressed his cheek softly after. He propped up on one elbow and made to whisper in Suho's ear, "No condoms."

Suho swallowed, the movement followed by Jongdae's fingers as he slid them down Suho's neck and onto the hand that held the lube and condom. He took the condom away and threw it far in the room. 

Jongdae laid back down and watched as Suho coated his fingers with the lube. He bit his lip as Suho parted his legs even further and his lubed fingers began tracing circles around his entrance. He watched the transfixed way Suho pushed his finger inside him and moaned at the sensation of the cold lube in his warm walls.

Suho thrust his finger out of Jongdae slowly, drawing the action out before slowly pushing back in. Jongdae closed his eyes as he focused on the sensation of getting used to something inside him.

"Suho," Jongdae whimpered his hand coming to grip Suho's arm. Jongdae bit his lip and Suho took this as a sign to add another finger.

Jongdae hissed as the fingers thrust shallowly inside of him, scissoring him to prepare him for Suho's thickness. He keened as Suho massaged his prostate. He tried to close his legs but Suho kept them apart. He panted as Suho stopped pressing against his prostate, going back to thrusting and scissoring his fingers inside Jongdae. It had been a while since Jongdae had felt anything like it but it felt even better having _Suho_ do it to him.

"Suho," Jongdae keened as he thrust his fingers a little faster.

"Suho, please," Jongdae muttered and Suho nodded, taking his fingers out and coating his cock with lube. Wiping his hand off on the sheets, Suho leaned down on Jongdae, their eyes locked onto one another. With his hand, Suho guided his cock into Jongdae's entrance.

Jongdae bit his lips from the pain, pulling on Suho's hair as Suho slowly buried himself inside Jongdae.

"Jongdae," Suho called out, fingers tracing the outline of Jongdae's face. Suho stroked some of the sweat slicked strands out of Jongdae’s eyes.

Jongdae opened his eyes and saw Suho's warm chocolate eyes greet him. He smiled as he nodded, a sign for Suho to move.

Suho moved slowly, pulling out with his eyes locked on Jongdae's. Suho kissed everywhere his lips could reach as he thrust in, setting a slow pace. Their fingers met as Jongdae breathed out when Suho pulled in and out, the pleasure slowly building up and replacing the pain.

"Jongdae, look at me," Suho whispered against Jongdae's cheeks and Jongdae opened his eyes, keening as Suho quickened his pace.

"I love you," Jongdae whispered, his hand caressing Suho's cheek as Suho leaned his forehead onto his. Suho kissed the inside of Jongdae's palm as his thrusts gained a steady rhythm.

Jongdae moaned as Suho's cock brushed against his prostate with every thrust. Suho's pace made him see stars and it became harder and harder to focus on the eyes in front of him.

"Suho," Jongdae whispered as he got closer and closer to the edge. "Suho."

Jongdae closed his eyes and felt Suho nod, his thrusts getting faster.

"Come with me," Suho whispered and Jongdae could barely respond as Suho's hand wrapped around his arousal. Suho kissed Jongdae's closed eyes as he tugged his hand up and down Jongdae's shaft. His pace grew faster and erratic as he sought his own release.

"Jongdae," Suho muttered as he grew closer.

Jongdae held onto Suho's back, his nails scratching him as he felt himself get to the peak.

"Suho!" With one last thrust and pull on his member, Jongdae gasped, spilling all over Suho's hand. Suho came at the same time, shuddering as he spilled himself inside Jongdae.

Suho carefully planted himself on top of Jongdae, pulling out of Jongdae as best as he can without hurting him. Jongdae panted as he pushed Suho to lie on his side, not able to handle his weight after everything they did.

Jongdae swallowed the lump in his throat when he realized that they had changed sides again. Suho caught the moon's glow on his skin once more and he remembered just what tomorrow had in store for them.

"I love you," Suho said as he pulled Jongdae close to him.

"I love you," Jongdae replied. He memorized the softness of Suho's kiss on his forehead and allowed him to envelop him in his arms.

"Promise me something," Suho whispered, lips pressing against the top of Jongdae's head. Jongdae hummed, unable to give a coherent reply. "Promise me that you're going to be alright without me."

Jongdae held in his tears, took a deep breath and nodded. Suho held his head in his hands, making Jongdae face him.

"Jongdae," Suho whispered, eyes meeting with Jongdae's own. "You're going to be alright without me."

Jongdae nodded and intertwined his hands with the hands that held him. He fought back the tears, determined not to cry that night. He kept his eyes open, afraid that once he closed them, tears would come gushing out like a river.

Jongdae looked into Suho's eyes, memorized their warmth. He was going to miss looking into those eyes. He took in the way Suho's skin glowed, caressing them with his eyes. He would never forget the way it felt to have his arms around them. He tightened his hold on the fingers in his. He pulled them close to his lips and kissed the inside of Suho's palm with a smile. He would always remember this moment.

"Good night, Jongdae."

 

The first thing Jongdae saw when he woke up was bright light. When his vision cleared, he saw that it was Suho's bright hair shining from the sun that illuminated the room. His naked torso gleamed from the light and Jongdae smiled at the marks that lined them.

"Good morning, Jongdae," Suho whispered as Jongdae's favorite smile shone down on him. Suho continued to stroke his hair and held his waist just like he did every morning.

It felt like someone stabbed him with an arrow as he realized he was never going to wake up like this again.

"Good morning, Suho," Jongdae greeted as leaned up to plant a soft kiss on Suho's lips. He tucked the memory of Suho’s lips against his own in his heart.

Suho stopped hovering over him, returning to lie down on the bed on his side facing Jongdae. Jongdae turned on his side as well, smiling sadly at Suho.

"I love you," Suho declared. And Jongdae had to bite his lip to keep himself from falling apart.

"I love you, too," Jongdae choked out, his voice wavering from trying to keep himself from crying.

"Goodbye, Jongdae." Suho smiled and everything inside Jongdae broke. He closed his eyes as he leaned in, softly allowing their lips to touch for one last time.

"Guardian Android Voice Command: System Shut Down."

Jongdae opened his eyes, watching as Suho closed his own, a smile on his face. Jongdae cried as he realized that the smile Suho wore was the one Jongdae claimed as his own. He cried as he felt the warmth leave Suho's body, leaving nothing but the shell of the android he loved.

♡♡♡

"I've always wanted to ask," Chanyeol begins as he surveys the android in the glass cylinder. "What are those marks on his skin?"

Jongdae coughs, choking on his spit as he bites his lip, thinking of an answer. He can hear Baekhyun laugh from some corner of the lab, his footsteps ringing even louder as he approaches Chanyeol.

"Idiot," Baekhyun remarks as he smacks Chanyeol at the back of his head. Chanyeol groans in pain but Baekhyun doesn't seem to care as he continues, "It's the kind of marks you leave on my skin."

"Gross," Jongdae comments just as Kyungsoo curses.

"Why the fuck haven't those hickeys disappeared?" Kyungsoo comments as he eyes Jongdae beside him. Jongdae sighs as he finds himself cornered by his colleagues.

"It's because I shut him off before his body could properly heal them," Jongdae says, trying to appear nonchalant even as he feels his face grow warm.

Baekhyun laughs, Kyungsoo shakes his head and Chanyeol just looks confused. Jongdae groans, hating the fact that he has to deal with these people every day.

"Besides, they've been there forever, why only notice them now?" Jongdae asks trying to find a suitable way to change the subject.

"Because this is probably the first time we've ever seen him without a shirt on," Chanyeol replies and the other two nod in agreement.

"Whatever," Jongdae mutters. "It's time to take him out. Come on."

The rest of them follow Jongdae as he presses a blue button beside the cylinder. A beeping sound alarms throughout the lab but all four occupants just put on their lab goggles. They watch as the glass around the cylinder slides down and disappears.

Jongdae smiles at the familiar sight of blond hair and toned body. He can hear his heart thumping as he approaches the android in front of him. To his right, he watches as Baekhyun pulls out a keyboard from one of the panels.

"Locomotor of Varying Emotions System 1.4. Commencing synchronization with Guardian Android Model," Kyungsoo says into his recorder.

"Turn him on," Chanyeol urges from behind Jongdae. Jongdae nods as he holds his breath, taking a step forward and pressing the button at the back of Suho's head.

"Synchronization complete," Chanyeol comments as he stares at the figures in his laptop. His voice sounds so far away as Jongdae watches Suho.

Suho slowly opens his eyes, his smile growing wider and softer. Jongdae sucks in a breath as he sees those warm, chocolate eyes. Tears slide down his cheeks as Suho gives Jongdae his favorite smile.

"Good morning, Jongdae."

**Author's Note:**

> These are just trivias that I couldn’t put in anywhere… I deeply apologize. They may or may not be important. Up to you.  
> 1\. Sooooo… as it isn’t mentioned and only implied, Suho’s cock, even tho Jongdae randomly picked it, is a little bit bigger than average :^)  
> 2\. “Locomotor of Varying Emotions System 1.4” is shortened to LOVE System 1.4 - it’s main function is literally to allow an android to fall in love...lol  
> 3\. The Guardian and Doll Series for male versions have an option for self-lubrication huehue  
> 4\. Jongdae’s family business is that they produce android parts. When Jongdae took up Robotic Engineering, they expanded the business to actually making and designing androids and overtook SM Systems Co.  
> 5\. I had a lot of fun with this AU. This definitely had more potential in it and I wish I had the time to explore and expand it but do not expect a sequel haha I cannot give it to you.  
> 6\. This is set many many many years from now, after the world kind of died and many years after the people who survived were able to put back the world together again. Hence, New Seoul… and yes, whoever SM is, he definitely “kind of” rules New Korea hahaha  
> 


End file.
